Hiding in Plain Sight
by AnimeFan202
Summary: She'd always thought she'd just had a knack for weaponry. But Tenten soon learns that there's more to her than anyone thought. This discovery will lead her to a mysterious weapon, an underground war, and an odd band of rogues. And before she knows it, she'll be forced to make an impossible choice. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. AU. Rated for blood, swearing, etc.
1. Prologue

**Lucky for you, unfortunately for me, the only thing I have less of than motivation is willpower. AKA, I didn't mean to put this up until I had significantly more of it written out. As it is, I have the first three chapters completely written, but I'm going to try to pace myself so I don't put them out all in a rush only to leave you hanging while I try to finish the next one. **

**On that happy note, please take note that this is an AU. I have taken it upon myself to mess with everything you've known to be true. (:**

**That said, please enjoy my extremely short, extremely vague prologue!**

**Prologue**

_Long ago, warriors roamed the land. These warriors were a select few, for they possessed a special ability not found in the common public. The ability to wield a rare weapon…_

_As the ancient territories fleshed out into the towns and villages known to the world today, these warriors became their peoples' protectors, defending them when the need arose. _

_But it wasn't long before civilians learned to use the inner energy known as 'chakra' that lay within them. The art of 'jutsu' was soon created and then altered in more ways than thought possible. _

_The old warriors became a thing of fables and legends, fading into the shadows or being hunted to extinction. Or so they thought… _

So reads an excerpt from _The Legend of the Keyblade Masters_.

**Review please!**

**I don't own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts.**

**Okay, so because this was so short, chapter one, where the story actually starts, will probably be up in a relatively short amount of time. But… I will be spending the next two days at my aunt's house where I'll have very limited access to the internet, so I'm guaranteed to have to wait that long at least. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Something Different

**So this last week of summer has already ruined my reputation of having absolutely no social life. I can hardly comprehend all the plans I have for this week. **

**Nevertheless, here is chapter one, where we actually get into the story!**

**Chapter One: Something Different**

"This was totally unnecessary."

"I realize it may actually kill you to say thank you, but could you at least stop complaining? You just got out of the hospital, Neji. I wanted to make sure you at least got home."

"The doctors cleared me; I'm fine, Tenten. But… thank you." She resisted a smirk. The words _did_ sound like they were being painfully torn out of his throat, syllable by syllable.

"Don't mention it." He didn't try to mask his groan.

The two stood at the entrance to the Hyuga compound, about to part ways. Their recent mission hadn't been as tough as the injuries may suggest. But even the most skilled shinobi could fall victim to lapses in judgment. She couldn't deny that they'd been lucky, though. Neji's worst injuries had been from chakra depletion rather than physical wounds. Now he just needed to rest.

"Just promise me you'll take it easy today, alright? We've got enough trouble looking after Lee without you being reckless, too." She really did _try_ not to sound like a nagging mother hen. Tenten was well aware that the boys could take care of themselves, but still, she cared about them. And she wasn't too tough to admit it. Being a team mate _meant _something to her. So if there was an opportunity where it _was_ within her power to look out for them, she did.

If her concern annoyed him, he didn't let on. Instead, with a small smile, he replied, "I'll see what I can do. Will you be 'taking it easy' today?"

"Hey, _I'm_ in perfect health. I've got training to do; I'm working with something new."

"Well, Gai will be pleased. I'll see you tomorrow, Tenten."

"Yup! Bye, Neji."

Neither genin was _lazy_ per se… but they did tend to relax a little on the rare occasions their sensei gave them a day off. Only Lee could be counted on to be found at the training fields every single day, regardless of the team's schedule. But today Tenten was excited to start what was sure to be a grueling workout.

She always pushed herself. Each member of Gai's team was vastly different when it came to strengths, abilities, and fighting styles. It was hard to compare them on any sort of relative scale. So it wasn't that she was worried about keeping up so much as she purposely made it difficult to reach her own standards.

She hadn't been lying. She may not have been traveling too far out of her comfort zone, but she _was_ trying something new.

Tenten and her parents lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of the village. It was a relaxed, humble lifestyle, for the most part. Neither of her parents were shinobi, but her father had taken up martial arts as a hobby years before she'd been born. As a result, he had built a dojo out in the forest, just a little ways past their house.

Her team mates had only ever accompanied her home once, but Lee had been absolutely enthralled by her father's lifestyle. She could understand why. The type of martial arts her father practiced was closer to taijutsu than any of the other ninja arts, and it was rare to find the kind of devotion to hard work Gai preached about in a civilian.

"I'm back, Mom!" she called, sticking her head into the house.

"No mission today?"

"Nope. I'm going to go train, alright?"

Her mother shouted something back about her father having gone shopping in town, but she was already on her way, the house out of sight.

Tenten walked along the familiar paths, attune with the forest. The birds chirped overhead, either oblivious to her presence or apathetic. Either way, the noise actually added to the peaceful atmosphere around her.

The door to the dojo eased open without so much as a creak. She snapped the light on, heading for the storage room at the back. Her footsteps echoed in the large, empty room, and the air was a little cooler than it had been outside. Her father hadn't held any classes that day so the room hadn't been opened up to the sun.

The back room held various pieces of teaching equipment. Mostly things made of wood or plastic or foam. (Her dad's students were comprised mainly of civilian children playing at being ninja or adults who were being pestered by their doctors to find a new method of exercise. Typically, people who weren't expecting any real injuries to occur during the learning process. Playing indeed.) But behind all of these, Tenten stored some real weapons so she could train at home.

After digging around for a few minutes, she unearthed a wooden sword. She'd been hoping to practice with a real one, right off the bat, but she was impatient to start.

Tenten may have considered herself a weapons specialist with more experience than most at her level, but she had done very little sword work. She'd brought it up once or twice throughout her childhood, but her father had always brushed off these concerns, distracting her. She didn't really mind; she tended to prefer projectiles anyway. But the new challenge was exciting.

She rushed through a few warm-up exercises before taking the wooden sword with her to the center of the room. She'd done some research, looking up basic techniques and watching other swordsmen at work.

Tenten started with a few offensive attacks- thrusts and slashes that felt totally foreign. She lost her balance more than a few times, and it was hard to get used to a weapon she was expected to keep with her. Honestly, it was frustrating and made the sword seem more like a hindrance than something to protect herself with. But Tenten was stubborn, if nothing else. She was determined. She would find the patience within herself to wait out this period of graceless amateurism.

She was about an hour in, making little progress, when she first heard the giggling. Tenten stopped, glancing around her and breathing heavily. She sensed movement by the doorway, and her visitor didn't quite manage to duck out of sight in time.

"Who's there?" Tenten called.

Obediently, the head slipped back around the doorway, followed slowly by its body. They were trained as shinobi to recognize that danger came in all shapes and sizes, but Tenten just couldn't bring herself to be suspicious of the little girl standing before her.

She had long, straight, jet black hair that fell down to her thighs. Her clothes were fancy and expensive-looking, but they'd seen better days. Her top was dirt-smudged, and the bottom of her skirt was patterned with tears. She looked like a little rich girl who either couldn't take care of, or appreciate, what she had, but Tenten just couldn't bring herself to judge her badly. One look at her eyes and any cynical thoughts she may have had disappeared. Her eyes were large, dark, and unquestionably innocent.

Tenten had never been overly fond of children. She _liked _them well enough, but it wasn't like her heart melted at the sight of them or anything.

But there was something about true innocence that was just too pure for her to turn her back on.

"Are you one of my father's students?" she asked, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.

The little girl shook her head shyly. "No. I was just watching…" She giggled again.

Tenten wasn't sure how to interpret her response. The girl seemed far too sweet to be mocking her, but her laughter seemed to suggest otherwise.

"You're overbalancing," she said suddenly. "For the type of attack you're going for, it's best if you keep your back foot planted. If you don't, you end up losing control, and it's harder to recover."

For a moment, Tenten could only stare. The idea of this strange little kid giving a full-fledged ninja any worthwhile advice was a little ridiculous. But her words made sense.

"Who… Who are you?"

"My name is Rhia." She took a few tentative steps into the room, her hands hidden behind her back.

"…Tenten. Do you spend a lot of time around swordsmen?" she asked curiously, still trying to figure this girl out.

"I'm in training, too." There was pride behind Rhia's blush. She watched as the younger girl pulled a sword out from behind her back. She was no expert when it came to this particular weapon, in case the past hour hadn't already proved _that_, but Tenten could tell that there was something odd about the sword Rhia held.

She couldn't imagine any weapon suiting anyone so perfectly. Despite Rhia's age or innocent appearance, the sight of her holding this particular sword just looked _right_ in ways the weapons specialist couldn't really put words to.

The sword was made of a very dark metal. It glinted strangely in the harsh, fluorescent lighting of the dojo. Though curved slightly, the sword itself didn't strike her as being particularly sinister. In fact, from where she stood, the blade looked a little dull. It was a long blade, but that didn't make the sword seem awkward for Rhia like it might in someone else's hands. In fact, Tenten strongly suspected that the sword's length was purposeful- to make up for its owner's short stature.

Rhia let Tenten admire her weapon a few seconds longer before pulling it back and clenching her other hand into a fist. She looked excited.

"Well? How do you feel about some company? Shall we spar?"

Tenten was torn. On the one hand, it hardly seemed fair for a ninja to be fighting a little girl. On the other, of the two of them, Rhia was the only one with a real weapon. And she looked so pumped…

"Okay," she agreed. It wouldn't hurt to humor her, she reasoned with herself. She would make sure Rhia didn't get hurt.

Tenten took up the stance she'd been attempting to get comfortable in for the past hour. Once there, she waited for the other girl to make the first move.

For all her advice of maintaining control, Rhia didn't seem to have a solid stance. She flitted around, never staying in any one spot for more than a few seconds. She made a few wild slashes at her opponent, but Tenten could tell they were all feints. She was waiting for Tenten to strike back.

Finally, whether out of curiosity or impatience, Tenten did bring her sword down to meet Rhia's… except the girl wasn't there. Each time Tenten attacked, the younger girl would jump out of the way just in time. The only thing Tenten's sword ever connected with was air. The smirk taking form on Rhia's face only added to her growing frustration.

Until at last, Rhia didn't jump away. Tenten didn't connect either, but the change of pace startled her enough to become twice as alert.

Rhia had ducked under her strike and gotten in close. Tenten's heart had begun to race. If she'd been thinking logically, she would have realized that her opponent was in a very uncomfortable position to attack. Rhia was _too _close, and her blade was too long. She would have to curve her arm up at an awkward angle to connect with the hope of doing any worthwhile damage.

But Tenten was a ninja, trained to act on adrenaline in times of peril. And the surprise didn't have her thinking logically.

She jerked her sword back from where it had flown over Rhia's shoulder, not knowing that this was exactly what the little girl had wanted.

Rhia caught their hilts together and jerked upwards. The toy sword flew out of Tenten's grasp where Rhia snatched it out of the air. Now holding both weapons, the little girl jumped back a few feet.

Tenten was tensed, preparing for another attack. Her mind was racing as fast as her heart. Faster. Had she misjudged the situation? If so, how drastically? Was Rhia some sort of rogue assassin, trained to kill? Or was she just slightly better than Tenten had anticipated? Was this still a game to Rhia? Or did she _mean _to be intimidating?

She was wildly cycling through her options. Playing it safe here meant she had to assume Rhia was hostile.

First things first, she needed a strategy. Taijutsu had never been a specialty of hers, but she had picked up a few things since being placed on Gai's team. And if it came to that, she felt confident she could overpower the smaller girl. But still, the fact that Rhia was armed and she was not didn't sit well with her. Tenten wasn't used to be without a weapon. Her muscles ached for the sword Rhia had stolen, even if it was just a toy.

Almost reflexively, she reached out for it. Tenten was unable to explain what happened next.

With a brief, bright flash, the sword disappeared from Rhia's hand and reappeared in Tenten's outstretched one. Except… it wasn't the same weapon anymore.

She was holding a sword made of a strange metal she couldn't identify. The way it glinted in the lighting made her think of Rhia's blade, though this sword wasn't nearly as dark. The hilt was a startling, conspicuous shade of yellow, made up of two bars that wrapped around the handle she held. The blade itself was silver. It was flat where it should have come to a point, but four tips grew out from the side. They jutted out like curved yet jagged teeth. Frankly, its design reminded her of a key.

In hindsight, it would seem like a very impractical weapon, but at the moment, she was too shocked by its sudden appearance to contemplate its uses in battle.

"How… What the hell… What _is_ this?"

Rhia's bright expression grew dim at Tenten's obvious confusion. Her face paled, and she took a few steps back. "I thought you knew…"

"Knew what?"

The younger girl looked afraid suddenly. "Never mind. I'm sorry, Tenten!"

She whirled around and ran out the door.

Tenten dropped the bizarre sword. By the time it hit the floor, it was a wooden toy once more.

**Review please!**

**I don't own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts.**


	3. A Harmless Game

**It's only the second chapter, but things have already gotten a lot darker…**

**Chapter Two: A Harmless Game**

Tenten returned to the dojo the next three days in a row, but she didn't see Rhia again. Nor did the mysterious key-like sword appear again, even when she consciously tried to summon it.

As much as she knew she should move on, it was hard for her to let it go without having any solid answers. She had begun to spend all of her free time practicing her sword work. This newfound obsession seemed to worry her parents, but they didn't voice their concerns, so she ignored them.

Meanwhile, life around her continued on in its normal pattern. Neji made a full recovery, and the team was cleared to start taking missions again. But so far, Gai hadn't accepted any. Instead, he had his genin team training harder than ever.

Looking back, Tenten really should have seen this event coming. She sighed. 'Capture the flag.' The words made her cringe.

For all the other genin squads, the game was something they hadn't had to think about since their academy days. The same could not be said for Gai's team. At least, not recently.

A few months ago, Kakashi Hatake (their sensei's proclaimed rival) had taken on a team of his own. Now, this shouldn't have meant anything. No matter how good Kakashi's rookies were, Gai's team was still a full year ahead. Older, more experienced.

It had been complete coincidence when the two teams crossed paths returning from separate missions. It had been a little interesting to check out the only trio that Kakashi had ever passed, sure, but that passing interest should have been the end of it. But no… Nothing could ever be that simple when Gai was involved.

Within a week, the two teams were doing various 'training exercises' together, usually under the guise of a game, like this one. Tenten was a little disappointed. She'd hoped Team Seven's sensei would be a bit more logical in his approach to training than her own.

Only Lee was still excited when they got to the training ground. Tenten sighed for what had to be the dozenth time. Neji was quietly disgruntled beside her. Kakashi's trio was talented, she'd give them that, but annoying. The only bright side was that a successful outcome was almost a given. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura couldn't stop bickering to save their lives. And that could be a fatal flaw for a squad of shinobi. She'd hate to see how they handled a real mission.

The teachers greeted each other pleasantly. Kakashi valued this as a teamwork exercise. Gai just enjoyed having something to one-up his rival with.

"Those two…" Tenten rolled her eyes. "They're like parents using their children's talents and accomplishments to fluff up their own egos."

Lee was warming up, too far away to hear, but Neji chuckled softly at her analogy. "You're right. But perhaps this time won't be such a waste of time."

She followed his gaze across the lawn to the other group of genin. Predictably, they were already at each other's throats. But Neji was focused on one in particular. Dark, quiet, but admittedly handsome… (Not that she _would_ admit it.) Sasuke Uchiha.

He'd graduated top of this year's rookie class but had always been an enigma to her. She knew Neji and Lee were both hoping to finally come head to head with this boy. His skill was usually enough to make up for his team mates' lack thereof. That had been the problem. He contrasted with Naruto and Sakura _too_ much. Sasuke was good at slipping silently through the forest, which shouldn't have been a problem… except that the other two were constantly getting in the way. Distractions. There had been a few close calls, but Team Seven hadn't won yet.

The six genin slowly drew together as the senseis broke apart. A coin was flipped, territories determined. Kakashi's team was given the far side of the boundary line, deeper into the forest. Team Gai would be closer to the training field.

The teams were given their flags. Naruto snatched up the yellow one, Lee took the red. They were brightly colored on purpose. It was difficult to camouflage them in the forest. The idea wasn't necessarily for them to be hidden… just well guarded. It was a matter of navigating their surroundings and working around obstacles.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee staged their base as far from the boundary line as was allowed. At this spot stood a very peculiar tree. Its stump was short, only about three feet from the ground, and then it branched out away from the center. Four thick limbs pointed out in four different directions. They planted their flag in the middle.

"All right," Tenten said, "let's talk strategy."  
Lee nodded in agreement. Anyone could still see that he was psyched for the exercise to start, but his excitement had settled into focus. A few feet off, watching something closely, Neji already had his Byakugan activated.

"They're leaving behind two guards," he reported. "They've already taken formation."

"How do you want to respond?" Tenten asked. "It doesn't really matter to me."

Lee was quiet. This was where the two teams truly differed. Tenten, Neji, and Lee didn't always get along, but they were capable of putting aside any disputes when it came time to work together for the sake of a mission.

But Tenten had to hand it to Team Seven. If Neji was right, (and she didn't make a habit of doubting those eyes) it was impressive that they'd already managed to agree on a strategy. Maybe they were starting to mature.

"Let's unbalance them," Neji decided after a moment.

"Excellent!" said Lee. "So you and I shall go on ahead?"

"Works for me," Tenten approved. She didn't really mind being saddled with guard duty. This little exercise didn't mean quite so much to her as it did to the boys. For them, this was a chance to test their skills. For her, this was just a harmless game.

They only had another minute before the sound of a shrill whistle cut through the silence. The game had officially begun.

Neji and Lee took off, leaving Tenten to begin setting up traps around the area.

It wasn't long before the natural peace and quiet of the forest returned and Tenten relaxed. She leaned back against the tree, settling back into a barrage of now-familiar thoughts.

She just couldn't get that strange sword out of her head. She flexed the muscles in her dominant hand. How had she felt the first time she'd summoned it? More importantly, how could she do it again? Tenten was no amateur at summoning weapons. It was a task she performed on a regular basis. But all of those summons had used chakra. That other day in the dojo… It had felt so effortless… So _right_. But there was another point nagging the back of her mind. The little girl had looked so scared… Why?

A rustling in the trees above her brought Tenten back to the present. She quickly drew a kunai, ready for whatever was coming.

Much to her surprise, when the enemy emerged from its cover, she found… Naruto? A surge of irritation flowed through her. Team Seven's own personal goofball had managed to get past Lee and Neji? Had her team mates really been so focused on confronting Sasuke that they'd allowed the enemy offense to slip through?

She watched his movements closely, calculating. He hadn't stopped moving since entering her line of sight. So he hadn't made any obvious mistakes… yet. The goal was to get in, get the flag, get out. But did he really expect no opposition from her?

Tenten didn't move as the boy dropped to the ground… in the perfect spot to set off one of her traps. She smirked at his startled cry as he fell target to the small rockslide she'd strung up. When the dust cleared, she didn't see any sign of Naruto.

_Tough luck, _she thought. He wouldn't be too seriously injured, but still, you could count him out. It looked like it would be another win for Team Gai.

The sound of another trap being set off behind her made her whip around just in time to see a barrage of kunai raining down on… yes, _Naruto_. She watched as the younger genin disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Shadow clones… She should have seen that one coming.

No sooner had she made this realization than all hell broke loose. She brought an arm up, trying to shield her eyes from the dust as all her traps went off around her. Tenten grit her teeth, silently berating herself for having so little faith in her team mates. This kid was tricky. And it seemed like Team Seven was finally learning to play to their strengths.

Kunai were flying the second the dust began to clear. Each one found its mark, and each one disappeared in a puff of smoke. Shadow clones. All of them.

There was another rustling above her head, and she whipped around to see Naruto- the real one, she was sure of it- drop down through the opening in the tree. She was just seconds too late. He snatched the flag, and her kunai sailed over his head, close but not close enough. It only took another second for him to climb back out, and then the race was on.

Tenten tore after him through the trees, looking for an opening, but of course it couldn't be that easy. She shouldn't have expected Naruto of all people to keep to a straight path. One moment he was in her line of sight, perfectly in range. The next he was obscured by something in the forest.

She grit her teeth and pushed herself to go faster. She wasn't getting anywhere, and every second that passed brought him closer to the boundary line.

At last, she caught her first lucky break.

"Tenten!"

Lee. Neji must have seen Naruto coming and sent him as backup. Excellent. Naruto may be clever, but there was no way for him to slip away from both of them.

But just when things started to go right, it all went very, very wrong.

Tenten glanced down, looking to see where she could go to be of the most help to Lee. That's when she caught sight of the blood. Just drops at first, here and there. But the farther down she looked, the more there was, until the branches were slick with it. Bells went off in her head. This was no casualty of nature. It reeked of human involvement. And then she spotted the body.

She dropped so quickly it looked almost as if she plummeted straight to the ground.

"Tenten!" she heard Lee call out in alarm. She ignored him.

She'd reached the ground and, unable to find a spot not splattered with blood, she plowed right through it.

She knelt by the body, horrified at the sight but unable to turn away. Before she knew what she was doing, she had the head cradled in her lap.

The kill was fresh, but some time had already passed. The body was slowly losing its warmth, and the blood had started to dry- it didn't drip down like she expected it to when she tilted the head.

It was a gruesome sight. Tenten assumed the slash through the throat had been the deathblow, and she hoped it had been quick. Another horizontal cut had been delivered to the side of her head. Tenten did her best to ignore the blood and decimated brain matter still oozing from _that_ wound. Her chest and midsection had been opened with a single vertical slash, their contents having also been brutally ripped apart. Both eyes were slashed clean through.

His girl hadn't just been killed; she'd been utterly destroyed. But why be so merciless even after death? Tenten had paid enough attention to her studies to realize that something was wrong. Each post-mortem cut was deliberate but not clean enough to be part of an autopsy performed by a tracker nin. And even if that had been the case, why would the evidence still be here? Autopsies were carried out on-site, but the bodies were ultimately disposed of elsewhere. It didn't add up.

But Tenten pushed her mind away from this train of thought. She'd dropped down not because the victim's circumstances had looked suspicious but because the victim herself had looked familiar. Rhia…

She gasped in a lungful of oxygen involuntarily, unaware that she'd been holding her breath. She heard her name being called again, but she didn't answer.

A second later, Lee dropped down beside her, landing in the mess of blood that surrounded her. He recoiled when he took a closer look at the body. His face was stricken and pale, reflecting her own.

The rest unfolded like a dream. The two were soon joined by Neji and Team Seven, their flag still clutched in Naruto's grasp. One by one, they each stopped dead. No one seemed to know what to do or say, so no one did or said anything.

"Tenten," she heard Neji address her quietly. She ignored him. It was too much for her brain to comprehend. She didn't have room for both his voice and her memories. All she could think of was Rhia standing shyly in the doorway, Rhia quietly confident as she wielded her weapon, Rhia alive and so blatantly innocent.

Someone touched her arm, bringing her out of her quick downward spiral. But when she looked up, it wasn't either of her team mates like she'd been expecting. It was Sakura.

"There's nothing you can do for her now." The other girl looked serious, but surprisingly composed despite the horror that surrounded her. Tenten had never classified her as a hardened, emotionless shinobi. If anything, Sakura had always come off and _over_-emotional. Maybe she just compartmentalized better than Tenten gave her credit for.

She was in the process of nodding wordlessly when Gai and Kakashi arrived on the scene. And just like that, the air of helplessness and indecision was washed away. Sakura was right. There was nothing more to be done for Rhia. So she let her team mates help her up as the six genin were sent away. Training was over.

**Review please!**

**I own neither Naruto nor Kingdom Hearts.**

**Hmm… I've only created one OC for this story… (so far, though there aren't any more in the plans yet) and she's already dead. How uplifting. **


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